Monday (11 Apr) - The Neverending Dungeon

Monday (11 Apr) - The Neverending Dungeon

A few days ago Java was trying to decide on a new weapon. There were at least two upgrades available on the Auction House at reasonable prices. Java had just changed weapons a week ago (a nice boss drop from the Scarlet Monastery). The weapon enchant for it, though, cost Java 200g, far more than the value of the weapon itsel, but essential to have. Every time Java upgrades his weapon, he's going to need another enchant for it. And based on the pace of Java's leveling, he could be changing weapons frequently. Java was getting nasty looks from Lost about the cost (Lost learned those "looks" from Happy, I'm sure). There needs to be a better way.

Kire came to the rescue. There is pair of quests that can be done in the pvp battleground of Alterac Valley, and the reward for doing those quests is the polearm [Ice Barbed Spear]. Like it's name says, a polearm is a type of spear, but instead of a pointed end it has something more dangerous - such as an axe-head - at it's tip. This weapon is good enough to last Java hopefully until he heads into Outland at level 58-60.

You have to be level 51 to get the quests for [Ice Barbed Spear]. Java was still level 50, and only barely that, being only 16% of the way to level 51. And not having anything more than a smidgen of rested experience meant it would take twice as long to get that xp (either that or wait a couple of days doing nothing to let rested xp accumulate again). Java was already getting fidgety and decided to get into a random dungeon to knock off at least a few percentage points.

Java went to the Flight Master and headed for parts north, starting in the Arathi Highlands but ultimately headed for the Plaguelands for some more questing. Java was still in the air when the call came for the random dungeon.

Java was thinking Zul'Farak again, or maybe Stratholme, but he was still thinking like a level 49. Java found himself in a dark cavern with four other players - the place was Blackrock Depths (BRD), with a suggested player level range of 53-56. BRD is huge, and takes a really, really dedicated group to clear. There are TWENTY-ONE boss encounters.

The first thing Java heard when he arrived at the beginning of BRD was, "Hey, how'd we get back to the beginning?" So, this was an dungeon already in progress, then, Java figured. Not so hard to believe given the scope of this place. Java picked up some quests, although there were some quests that Java wasn't high enough level to get. We then marched off. It took all five of us to find our way around, and we backtracked quite a bit, and we got lost more than a couple of times. Java was lost most, if not all, of the time. Every now and then, though, some memory from Wild would pop in Java's head. I think Java was the first "replacement" player in the group, but that fifth player came and went pretty regularly. Our warlock wore down and left about 30 minutes in (plus whatever time he'd put in before Java showed up), but the ones after him did not last very long at all. They'd stay for a couple of pulls, and I could sense the wheels turning in their heads. Where am I? What boss are they on? Have they even killed any bosses yet? I'm totally lost. What am I even doing in this place? Leaves dungeon. Java saw that fifth player change five times. The other four of us hung in there.

We only wiped twice, though. Once was in the Grim Guzzler. Yes, we decided to turn that place on it's ear and kill everyone in it for fun and profit. And the three optional boss encounters in there. The patrons of the place are not hostile - that is, until we started trouble. We only wanted trouble at the bar, but the whole room turned hostile and someone in our group - everybody turn and point at our tank - strayed a little too close and the whole room full of people started hitting us over the head with bottles and chairs. Sigh. All that wasted ale.

The second wipe. Do we really want to talk about wipes? We should just move on. Ok, ok. It was in the Summoning Room. That room that kinda looks like the Balrog cavern in LOTR (and if you need to know what a balrog is, or what LOTR stands for ... ) only without the bridge. The bad guys didn't come climbing down from the ceiling, but they sure blanketed the floor of the place. We had to set some torches while killing grunches of mobs, and well, Java got just a little too enthusiastic and pulled ... oh ... maybe a third of the room. Java was pretty pleased with his rather magnificent DPS at that moment - that is, until he died and the group wiped. The mage asked Java why he did it. All I could say was that it didn't look like there were that many mobs. The mage laughed and made a one letter comment: "v" (hitting "v" on the keyboard turns on the over-the-head sign on all mobs, making them much more visible).

Our group did eventually limp out of there, eyes squinting from the unaccustomed light. We did kill the final boss, too, which got our random dungeon completion. Looking at the list of encounters, Java can say definitely that he was in on fourteen of those 21 boss encounters. It was likely more than that, but those 14 were ones I was sure of. Whether we got all 21 killed Java will never know.

In the end Java did reach level 51, and 26% of the way to 52 to boot. Java also got two weapon drops that puts Java's current weapon to shame. Kire, look up [Angerforge's Battleaxe] and [Flame Wrath]. Java now has both of those, and they are just so cool. And Java can wear them right now, instead of waiting to get those quests done. I know I know, sigh, the Barbed Spear is overall better than them both. Not to mention the better enchant it can use. Wild can make the enchants, too. Too bad those other two weapons would still require the 200g enchant.

Monday Night - it was a real life girls night out, so us boys had our own party. Java couldn't help thinking about getting that new weapon, and so Java made the long journey to the Alterac Valley encampment in the Hillsbrad Foothills. Java picked up the quest "The Battle of Alterac" and then signed up for the Alterac Valley battleground. This is a 40 man BG and Java figured it would take a very long time, if at all, to get invited to it.

Java planned to head back to the Plaguelands and quest until the BG popped or until he dragged himself off to bed. Fifteen minutes after signing on for the BG, Java got his invite.

What was really cool was that this was not an "in progress" battle, which is often the case with large scale pvp battlegrounds. Java got in at the very beginning. Alterac Valley (AV) is a huge place all on it's own, fit for a battle of eighty horde and alliance, as well as each team having 600 more npcs to add to the fight as well. AV has a number of quests that can be done and many objectives players can work to achieve, including killing the main npc leader.

Java stayed with a core group whose intent was to battle the horde down the entire length of AV, gain access to their base, and kill the horde npc leader. Other groups attacked other objectives. The horde fought hard, killing off our group several times, but each time we returned we made it deeper into the horde zone. Java got very confused at one point, riding hell for leather - in the wrong direction - when Wild's memories of horde assaults popped up in Java's head. Turn around, Java my boy, he told himself, you're Alliance. The Horde base you are attacking is in the OTHER direction!

The horde had their defenders at that last stronghold, and Java had a blast charging their defenses and battling to get past them. As the horde npc defenders dwindled, the horde defense began crumbling. More alliance joined in as well, and we cleared out the horde. The group of alliance swelled further and we assaulted the horde npc leader. The fight went long enough for Java to die (along with many others) and come back to join the fight again. In the end we killed him and Java had his first AV win! Java made level 51 and got a good chunk of the way to level 52.

Java completed the AV pair of quests, and right now is wearing his [Ice Barbed Spear]. Java decided that the Massacre enchant was what he wanted on it, and Wild crafted it for him. The only tiny disappointment is that the spear is rather plain looking. But that won't really matter to all those hostiles Java will be sticking that spear into.